MOUNT STERLING, Ky. (LEX 18) — A family’s massive collection of vintage lunchboxes are up for auction in Kentucky.
The collection of 520 vintage lunchboxes belonged to Marvin Brown.
“When people saw them, usually the first expression was, ‘Wow. How did he collect so many?’” said Marvin's son, Mark.
Mark said his dad bought the first lunchbox in the 1980s.
Metal lunch boxes rose in popularity in the 1950s alongside the boom of television shows. The very last metal lunch box was produced in 1985. It features Rambo.
Marvin passed away in July 2020.
The Brown family does not have space to store the collection and has decided to give them a shot at a new home instead of letting them be thrown away or collect dust.
Caswell Prewitt Realty is in charge of the lunchbox auction.
“I was so excited, because I like quirky collectibles,” said auctioneer Dave Diedrich.
The lunchboxes feature all sorts of characters, including Strawberry Shortcake, Batman, the Jetsons, Barbie, and more.
Currently, the highest bid for the collection sits at $1,550 for a Toppie the Elephant lunchbox. Only 12 were ever made, according to Diedrich.
The oldest lunch box in the collection is a simple metal box that was made in 1885.
The first lot closes at 6 p.m. on Nov. 7.
To make a bid or find out more information about viewing the collection, you can visit here.
This story was originally reported by Sofia Millar on lex18.com.
